Thousands of England fans – some sad, some angry, many both – were starting the long trip back from South Africa today, trying to work out where it went wrong and wondering if it had all been worthwhile. A few were planning to stay on to watch other games, but most simply wanted to get home and back to work as quickly as possible.

Tales abounded of fans having to pay hundreds of pounds to change their flights, while a sizeable minority who had only come out for the second round, gambling on England getting further in the competition, faced having to while away a week or more.

Among the despondent were newlyweds Dave and Serena Stone, who celebrated their honeymoon following England in South Africa. The trip cost them £8,000. "And for what?" said Mr Stone. "A half-decent 1-0 win over Slovenia and then to be totally outplayed by Germany. It is just not good enough. If I had one question to ask any of the players it would be: do you think you have delivered value for money?"

British Airways warned fans that they could be forced to wait until later in the week before they leave because flights to England had filled up quickly. At the airport in Bloemfontein, fans were busy rearranging flights. Some were trying to sell tickets they had bought for the quarter and semi-finals.

Barry Pringle, 51, an administrator from Clacton, Essex, said: "We just want to get back to England as soon as possible now. I thought we was robbed again, as normal. They definitely need to bring in video technology."

James Richardson, 28, a mechanical engineer from Chelmsford, Essex, was also trying to find a flight.

He said: "The Germans deserved it. They took their chances and we didn't. We never look like a team – we are always individuals."

Asked if manager Fabio Capello deserved to go, he said: "Who else is going to do it? I would stick with him."

Julian Edgar, 32, from Hertford, was furious the team did not spend more time on the pitch at the end of the match applauding their supporters. "It was a disgrace that the players only stuck around for 20 seconds. They should have gone around to every corner. It's insulting."

One figure who passed through the airport almost unnoticed was Jorge Larrionda, the Uruguayan referee who failed to spot thyat Frank Lampard's shot had crossed the goalline for what would have been an equalising score just before half-time.

Brian Wright, 40, from Coventry, did see him but, as a football referee at local level himself, did not think it right to harangue him. "They are only human – mistakes happen. But it was a massive mistake."

In the aptly named Capello cafe at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport, Phil Byrne, an estate agent from Gloucester, said: "It's depressing today going home. I've spent at least £4,000 getting here and sat through a lot of bad football.

"The World Cup's over as far as I'm concerned. When we get home, I'll not bother watching any of the other games because I can't bear to think about it."

There were a few reasons to be cheerful in South Africa, among them the behaviour of the England fans. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, leading the UK police delegation in South Africa, said there had been no arrests or trouble after the game.

"I'm massively impressed," he said. "We've not had any trouble whatsoever. But the England fans were engaging in an orgy of self-deprecation."

Early exits by the United States as well as Mexico are bad news for tournament organisers as supporters of the three teams have poured millions of pounds into the South African economy.

In the UK, the St George's flag was lowered over Downing Street to be replaced by the union flag. The effects of the England team's exit on the British economy are hard to calculate. Some studies suggested that the disappointment would have cost Britain because despondent workers were likely to be less efficient.

But FirstCare, which monitors absenteeism, said its research suggested almost everyone turned up for work today – thousands more than after England's win against Slovenia last Wednesday.

The Chartered Management Institute stuck to its gloomy prediction that lost working hours could cost the UK economy £1bn – whether or not England did well.

Some businesses were certainly counting the cost, including pubs and bars which had enjoyed an estimated £80m bonus thanks to the competition … until England's dismal performance against Germany.

England and St George, a Lancashire company that sold "tonnes" of England flags, bowler hats and World Cup bunting while the team was doing well, was not quite as busy, selling no England paraphernalia at all. Manager Emma Webster said: "I think it's safe to say our sales have plummeted."

And what happens to all that stock? "We keep it and get ready for the next event – it'll probably be St George's Day next year."